What began as a homeschooling project with her kids—dyeing T-shirts with avocado pits—became something far more meaningful for Amanda Fan. That first experiment planted the seed for Boulder Colors, her small-batch paint company rooted in sustainability, education, and community. Using pigments extracted from kitchen scraps and wild botanicals, Fan has created more than just an eco-friendly art supply brand: She’s reframing the way we see our scraps, our soil, and the stories behind the colors we use. The result is part science, part art, and wholly personal. Through workshops, travel blogs, and her book Boulder Lakes, Fan invites others into the process. Here, she shares her journey.
Her roots: “I’ve always worked in education, so teaching is a big part of what I do. It’s not just about plants or pigments; it’s about helping people slow down, question cultural norms around consumption, and connect more deeply with the materials they use. For me, this project is where food, art, magic, and mad science all meet—and ‘mindless’ tasks can be reframed as mindful.”
Pigment pipeline: “We never use perfectly edible food to make paints—most of it comes from leftovers of our family’s regular food consumption. But our amazing community has been such a blessing on this journey: generous friends who grow new things for us, neighbors who let me raid their yards and trim their trees, restaurants that go through tons of stone fruits or onions, and the local farmers who keep me in mind during the ups and downs of the growing season.”
Color crushes: “Red cabbage is my go-to for workshops and presentations. Not only is it my favorite food to eat, but it also provides a fun color change for those new to the process. The sand cherry tree in our yard is the gift that keeps on giving, so I’m particularly fond of that too. But beets are no longer allowed in our house by unanimous family vote because I made too much pink paint during the early years of Boulder Colors. We still have an epic stain on our floor from The Beetroot Incident️ of 2022.”
Now blooming: “It’s officially stone fruit season in Colorado, and I am always shocked by how much pigment is hiding in those pits. That’s the fun part about making natural paints—sometimes the pH of an ingredient makes for a completely unexpected color shift. Stop throwing away free pigment and save those pits for us, please!”
Beyond Boulder: “We made a lot of paint from locally grown plants here in Colorado and wanted to expand and try some new things. We’re now traveling the world in search of traditional dyes from different cultures and climates and sharing our travel stories along with the international colors we bring back.”
You can find Fan’s paints at Two Hands Paperie in Boulder, Ritualcravt in Wheat Ridge, or on her website, and coordinate a donation by emailing amanda@bouldercolors.com.
